Tariff Concerns Draw Horticulture Professionals to Town Hall

Industry leaders address supply chain risks, pricing pressures, and advocacy efforts as U.S.-Canada trade tensions escalate.

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Milton, ON, April 04, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — April 4, 2025—On April 2, More than 160 small business owners, staff, and partners in the ornamental horticulture industry attended a Town Hall meeting on U.S.-Canada tariffs. 

This timely session, hosted by Landscape Ontario (LO) Executive Director Joe Salemi, featured insights from Victor Santacruz, Executive Director of the Canadian Nursery Landscape Association (CNLA), and Corinne Pohlmann, Executive Vice-President of advocacy for the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB).

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The three panellists provided an informative overview of the trade situation and how the political climate could impact horticulture businesses across the country. Participants raised a wide range of questions, reflecting the industry’s concerns about supply chain disruption, pricing pressures, legal considerations, and cross-border trade implications. 

Attendees asked about the specific goods affected, how to communicate with clients, and what support is available from associations and the government. There was strong interest in practical tools, such as contract wording and product lists, to help businesses navigate uncertainty. The questions emphasized the importance of clear information, coordinated advocacy and proactive planning.

Pohlmann of the CFIB advised businesses to mitigate trade costs by reviewing and renegotiating contracts. Pohlmann noted that some Canadian companies exporting to the US are being asked to absorb the added costs, and that these are the sorts of negotiations to anticipate and may require legal assistance. 

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While finding new suppliers for companies that import products can take up to six months, and up to 12 months for companies that export, Pohlmann suggested exploring opportunities within Canada’s 15 existing free trade agreements with 51 countries. For assistance with this, she recommended contacting the Trade Commissioner Service, a program through Global Affairs Canada with offices in embassies and consulates around the world that helps exporters find new markets. 

Santacruz from the CNLA mentioned that longstanding relationships with American counterparts in the horticulture industry are paying dividends currently, noting that AmericanHort has officially written to the U.S. government to have exemptions for live plants, sphagnum peat moss, and fertilizers. Other state trade associations have also expressed support for the position of not having tariffs on the landscape and nursery sector.   

Santacruz recommends that CNLA members who move products across the border should be reaching out to a reputable customs broker. 

“They’ll be able to really guide you through what is exempt, what does cost money, and what impacts you,” he said. “Ultimately, you are legally responsible as an exporter or importer for the products that you are sending out or bringing in. So just make sure you’re dealing with someone that can help guide you through this process.”

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As of April 4, the federal government has imposed $60 billion in countertariff measures including steel and aluminum. On April 2, a matching 25 percent levy was imposed on U.S.-made automobiles.    

From March 4 to April 2, the Government of Canada’s Department of Finance sought feedback from businesses and the public on the proposed tariff measures, including the scope of measures, reasons for support or opposition, and potential impacts. The federal government provided a list of 4,416 Harmonization System (HS) codes that amount to $200 billion worth of imported goods. Both LO and the CNLA provided comments. 

An April 1 letter sent to the Department of Finance on behalf of the CNLA’s over 4,000 member companies across Canada identified 171 HS codes that, if included in countertariff measures, would impact the industry the hardest.

In the letter, CNLA President Anita Heuver writes: “To ensure the continued competitiveness of Canadian horticultural businesses, we strongly urge the government to exempt or provide leniency from these tariffs on these items. Doing so will protect existing contracts, prevent unnecessary supply chain disruptions, and support the industry’s long-term sustainability.”

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At the Town Hall on April 2, Santacruz added the CNLA’s communication to Ottawa will be among numerous requests that the federal government will need to weigh when considering their response to trade challenges posed by U.S. tariffs. 

“We’re competing with everyone else in the Canadian economy,” Santacruz said.

“There’s about $70 billion out there for exemptions potentially,” he continued. “It is a complicated piece of work that the government must do to figure out what’s best for the Canadian economy.”

Though this ongoing situation will continue to impact everyone in the value chain, from producers to landscapers to retailers to suppliers, Salemi from LO underscored the strength of collaboration across the sector to navigate ongoing challenges.

“In these uncertain times, it’s more important than ever that we stand together both as a community within Landscape Ontario and the provincial associations across the country and together as the Canadian Nursery Landscape Association. By working together, we can mitigate as many of the negative impacts as possible and ensure that the continued strength and resilience of our industry remains.” 

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CNLA members were encouraged to contact their respective provincial association or the CNLA if they have questions or concerns about the ongoing trade dispute. As this fluid issue evolves, a CNLA Task Force on U.S.-Canada tariffs will meet regularly. The task force includes representatives from provincial associations across Canada as well as members of the CNLA board of directors. 

Dave Clark, Branch and Sales Manager of Brandt Tractor in Milton, Ont., appreciated the opportunity to listen to concerns of business owners at the Town Hall.

“It was great to hear many of the concerns from the nursery industry as well as the landscape industry,” Clark said. “As a supplier, we need to know those things. We need to know what’s bothering them, what questions they have, and the different ways they may be able to still work through the tariffs with their business and their options.”

Watch the full Town Hall on U.S.-Canada Tariffs

Resources

• List of $30 billion of U.S. products subject to 25 percent tariffs effective March 4, 2025
• List of $29.8 billion of U.S. products subject to 25 percent tariffs effective March 13, 2025
• Tariff remission process: Process for requesting remission of tariffs that apply on certain goods from the U.S. – Canada.ca
• Landscape Ontario’s U.S.-Canada tariff situation FAQ
• Business Development Bank of Canada – Support from BDC
• Export Development Canada – Support from Export Development Canada
• Royal Bank of Canada Tariff Insights
• Canada customs notice: Customs Notice 25-10: United States Surtax Order (2025-1)
• U.S. customs notice
• CFIB signage to promote Canadian-owned businesses and shopping locally
• CFIB’s updates on the U.S.-Canada tariff situation
• Trade Commissioner Service

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Liquidity measures announced March 7 by the Government of Canada to support businesses:

• Trade Impact Program: Export Development Canada will deploy $5 billion over two years to help exporters navigate tariffs, cash flow issues and market expansion.
• Business Loans: $500 million in low-interest loans via the Business Development Bank of Canada for affected sectors and supply chains, plus financial advisory services.
• Agriculture Support: $1 billion in new financing through Farm Credit Canada to ease cash flow challenges for the agriculture and food industry.
• Advance Payments Program: The interest-free limit is set at $250,000 for 2025.

About Landscape Ontario Horticultural Trades Association 
Landscape Ontario Horticultural Trades Association (“Landscape Ontario”) is the province’s premier horticultural trades association, with 3,000 professional members, 10 regional chapters and 10 sector groups. Its mission is to be the leader in representing, promoting and fostering a favourable climate for the advancement of the landscape horticulture industry in Ontario.

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About the Canadian Nursery Landscape Association
The CNLA is a national, not-for-profit federation of provincial landscape and horticulture associations representing over 4,000 members in the landscape, retail garden centre, and nursery sectors. The association aims to develop programs, undertake initiatives, and form alliances to achieve sustainable prosperity for members and stakeholders.  

About the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB)
The CFIB has been the country’s champion of small business since 1971. With over 100,000 members, the CFIB is Canada’s largest non-profit organization devoted to creating and supporting an environment where businesses can succeed. Across Canada, CFIB advocates for small business with politicians and decision-makers. As a non-partisan organization, CFIB influences public policy based on its members’ views to ensure opportunities to affect the laws and policies that impact businesses.

Attachments

• Town Hall: U.S. – Canada Tariffs
• Town Hall: U.S. – Canada Tariffs

Stuart Service, Media Coordinator - Communications Canadian Nursery Landscape Association (CNLA) 647-695-0353 [email protected] Penny Tantakis, Director of Communications Landscape Ontario 416-930-8463 [email protected]

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